I Love You Just the Way You Are
by loganX5
Summary: Lilly has a new boyfriend who makes her happy. But it's a little difficult for Miley to be supportive when she can't stop thinking about the kiss she and Lilly shared. Sequel to 'You Are So Beautiful to Me.' Liley.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hannah Montana.**

**Warning: Contains mention of m/f and f/f sex.**

**A/N: This is a sequel to 'You Are So Beautiful to Me.' Set in early season 2, a couple of weeks after the episode **_**You Are So Sue-able to Me**_**.**

"Aww... that's cute!"

"No, you're cute."

"No, _you're_ cute!"

"You're cuter!"

"You're so cute when you tell me I'm cuter!"

"But you _are_ cuter..."

Miley rolled her eyes as Lilly and Matt started on yet another one of their 'odes to cuteness' - for what felt like the tenth time today. Around them, the noise and bustle of lunchtime at Seaview High was in full swing, some students eagerly sharing the latest gossip or chatting about the hippest new music and TV shows, others hurriedly trying to finish their homework from last night before their afternoon classes, all whilst doing their best to ignore the taste of the recycled toxic waste the school tried to pass off as cafeteria food.

However, all this frantic activity was lost on the boy and girl who sat at one of the tables in the outside dining area, lovingly gazing into each other's eyes, and feeding each other small and dainty mouthfuls of food off the one plate that was placed between them. They were completely oblivious to all around them, including their two dining companions who sat at the same table, and who now caught each other making matching grimaces.

"God, I never knew 'cute' could get so nauseating!" said Oliver.

"Tell me about it!" replied Miley. "If I _ever_ start acting like that with one of _my_ boyfriends, you have my permission to kick my ass!"

"Oh don't worry. If _both_ my best girl buds start acting like that, there will definitely be ass kicking!" Oliver glared at Lilly, but she and Matt were making baby-faces at each other, apparently not having heard a word that he and Miley had said. "Most likely followed by a rapid descent into insanity," Oliver continued.

Miley looked back over at Lilly sitting next to her boyfriend of roughly two weeks now, and shook her head at their antics. Although she had been partly responsible for them getting together, and she was glad that her friend had found someone whom she seemed so into, Miley hadn't really expected it to turn out like _this_. Lilly barely talked to her or Oliver anymore. The blonde spent most of her free time with Matt. Free time that she had previously had for Miley and Oliver. Even when they were together, like at lunchtimes, Lilly and Matt only had eyes for each other. And although Miley and Oliver kept each other company, Miley still missed the quality girl-time with her BFF. But since she didn't want to start acting all jealous and ruin Lilly's happiness, Miley hadn't said anything to her. _If that's what makes Lilly happy, then I'll support her._

"Oh, there's only one boiled carrot left." Lilly and Matt had eaten most of the food on their shared plate, though with their constant complimenting of each other, it had taken them most of the lunch-break to do so.

"You can have it," offered Matt.

"No, you can," responded Lilly.

"No, I want you to have it."

"No, you should. You're a growing boy."

Miley wasn't exactly sure why anyone would want the shriveled-up soggy orange things. Everyone assumed they were carrots, but nobody was a hundred-per-cent certain...

"We can share." Matt and Lilly were continuing with their carrot dialogue.

"Okay."

Miley saw Oliver with his fingers down his throat pretending to gag. Looking back at the other two, Miley just caught a glimpse of Lilly placing the carrot between her teeth, half of it sticking out, and Matt leaning in to bite off the other half, their lips brushing together in a kiss at the same time. Hurriedly looking away, she found herself staring back at the remains of her own meal, which consisted mostly of the sketchy boiled carrots that she hadn't found the courage to eat yet, and was suddenly joining Oliver in fighting back nausea. She quickly pushed her plate away, and was just able to avoid throwing-up. She would probably never eat another carrot again, though. _Just as long as they don't start making out at the table!_

"Oh man!" exclaimed Oliver, at the same time that a chorus of wolf-whistles and cheers went up from some of the surrounding tables.

"They're making out at the table again, aren't they?" asked Miley, still refusing to look back in their direction.

"Yeah."

Squeezing her eyes shut, Miley slumped forward onto the table in front of her, her forehead hitting the tabletop with a dull thud. She lifted her head back up and banged it down again a few more times, hoping to bludgeon the memory of Lilly and Matt's carrot-kiss out of her brain. If she could knock herself unconscious in the next thirty seconds, she wouldn't have to listen to their good-byes as they went off to class, either. It didn't work. When the bell rang for end of lunch, Miley could still hear them.

"I have to go babe. I'll see you after school."

"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you more."

"No, I'll miss _you_ more!"

"I love you."

"I love you more."

"No, I love _you_ more."

"Bye..." Lilly's voice trailed off. "Um... when did Miley fall asleep?"


	2. Chapter 2

Miley sighed and put away her phone. Around her, the after-school beach-going crowd sat at the outdoor tables enjoying their shakes and burgers, or talked boisterously as they made their way down to the seashore to go swimming or surfing. Off to one side, seagulls fought over some abandoned fries, and the late-afternoon sun shone down on it all, warm and relaxing. But it was all lost on the frustrated brunette.

"She blew us off again, didn't she?" asked Oliver, who sat beside her.

"Yeah..." Miley had just got a text message from Lilly saying that she wasn't going to meet them at the Surf Shack after school as they had planned, and was instead staying at Matt's for the rest of the afternoon, to study. Just like she had for the last three days. And Miley thought she had a pretty good idea what 'study' meant in this instance. It wasn't like she was bothered by the idea of Lilly making out with a boy. That's what girls do with their boyfriends, right? It was just... It wasn't right to cancel plans that you'd made with your other friends. Twice. That was it. That was the reason why she was upset. _And I just miss my Lilly... I mean my friend Lilly._ She quickly corrected herself in her head.

Oliver got his cell out and began typing a text message.

"What are you doing?" asked Miley.

"Sending her an angry text," answered Oliver.

"Don't... Just let her spend time with her boyfriend, if that's what she wants."

"But Miles! It's not cool for her to just keep ditching us like this. Just because she gets a boyfriend doesn't mean all her other friends fade out of existence!"

Miley looked away, unsure of what to say. Truth was, she felt exactly the same. It was like she had become invisible to Lilly lately. And it hurt. After years of friendship, could Lilly really just cast her aside? Was that what was happening? _No Way! Lilly wouldn't do that! She's just... busy._ Having a steady boyfriend was new for her, and she seemed really happy. No way would Miley get in the way of that.

But it did hurt. A lot.

"Don't get mad with her," Miley said. "It's not her fault. She's still getting used to having a steady boyfriend. She just... hasn't found a balance yet... But I'm sure she will."

Oliver relented and put his phone away. "Don't you miss her, though? I mean, I still see her in the morning when she comes surfing, but you guys hardly seem to be around each other anymore, unless it's at school, in which case Matt's there as well."

"Yeah. I do miss her." _More than you know. Maybe more than I have a right to._ Miley put on a brave smile. "But I'm just trying to be supportive and happy for her." _Even if I'm miserable, as long as Lilly's happy, it's okay._


	3. Chapter 3

After hanging out at Rico's for a while and chatting over milkshakes, Oliver headed out to catch a few waves and Miley went home.

After dinner, Miley went upstairs to start on her homework. But as she sat at her desk with her books open in front of her, her mind kept drifting back to Lilly. Miley had never considered herself a clingy person, but for some reason over the last couple of days, she seemed to be spending all her time alone wishing she were in the company of her best friend. Before she really realised it, she had her cell phone out and was getting ready to speed-dial Lilly, but she stopped herself short. _No! Don't be clingy. Lilly's a big girl, with her own life, and I shouldn't be checking up on her all the time. She's probably at home doing her homework._ Then Miley remembered Lilly was supposed to have done her homework already at Matt's. So that meant Lilly probably _hadn't_ done her homework, and had spent all afternoon making out. So that meant Lilly probably _was_ at home doing her homework right now. _Maybe I should ask her to come over and do homework together?_ Miley got ready to dial Lilly's number again. _Wait! No! 'Cause then she'll think _I_ think she spent all afternoon making out!_ Miley threw her phone down on her desk with an exasperated sigh, and tried to get back to her study. _But I can totally understand why he'd want to spend all afternoon making out with her._ Miley knew from firsthand experience that Lilly was a good kisser. _No! I swore I wouldn't think about that anymore!_ After that night when they'd shared their one and only kiss, Miley had tied herself in mental knots trying to figure out what it meant. The next morning, Lilly had gone back to being upset and depressed about Matt, and Miley had convinced her to go on _Judge John_ to try and exact retribution. But it had backfired, in more ways than one, and Miley had ended up covered in smelly goop whilst Lilly and Matt got together and embarked on a two-and-a-half-week-long odyssey of love, that apparently had no place in it for former best girl-buds like Miley. And Miley and Lilly had never discussed what had happened between them that night. _That's 'cause there's nothing to discuss! It didn't mean anything! It was just Lilly showing her appreciation for me trying to make her feel better. Or maybe it was just Lilly clowning around and having a bit of a joke. One or the other._ Miley wasn't sure which. but it had to be one of those, because Lilly was clearly attracted to Matt. _So it must have just been a friendly kiss. _Although Miley didn't think friends normally kissed like that. Lilly had never kissed Oliver like that. At least, not to the best of Miley's knowledge - not even when they had dated for those two days in the second grade (which was a good thing, Miley thought, because seven-year-olds kissing like that would just be weird).

But if Lilly _had_ spent all afternoon kissing Matt, then that would be alright, because that's what girls did with their boyfriends (and not with their best girl-buds, as enjoyable as that might be...) And anyway, it was none of Miley's business. Miley didn't need to know how far they'd gone. Sure, Lilly would tell her if she asked. Because her and Lilly talked about everything (unless it involved late-night kisses between best friends, because Miley was never going to talk about that to anybody, not even Lilly unless she offered a full explanation as to why she would just suddenly pin her against the dining-room table and kiss her breathless, then start dating some stupid jock the next day). But Miley wouldn't ask how far Lilly and Matt had gone. Because then there would be all these images going through her mind of a half-naked Lilly with her clothing all missarranged and dishevelled, a small petite bundle of curves and bare tanned skin and long golden blonde hair, gazing up with anxious wide blue eyes as a big sweaty jock moved above her, his rough clumsy hands most likely bruising her delicate flesh.

"He probably doesn't even know the proper way to touch her!" Miley was now pacing back and forth in her room, muttering to herself. "He doesn't know how delicate she can be! Sure she acts tough, but there's a soft centre underneath that tomboyish exterior! How can he know? They've only been together two weeks -" Miley shot a glance at the calendar sitting on her study-desk. "...two-and-a-half weeks. _I've_ known her for four years! No way is he gonna know how to treat her right! I swear, if he _ever_ hurts her, I'm gonna kick his ass!"

As more and more images of a half-naked Lilly began going through her mind, Miley decided she needed to ring her friend up as soon as possible and ask just how far she had gone with Matt. And then warn her about the evils of boys. And make her swear off them until she was thirty. At least. She grabbed her phone up off her desk and recalled Lilly's number. She wasn't being nosy... She was just... looking out for her friend. Best friends did that... _Yeah... best friends who are clingy, nosy, and confused about ambiguous kissage..._

"Aargh!" Miley flung herself onto her bed, and once more tossed her phone away from her. It landed on the comforter just below her pillow, face up, with Lilly's number still lit-up on screen, like it was taunting her to make the call. _What kind of horrible person calls their best friend just to tell them not to date a guy - a guy who seems to make that friend really happy?_ "Not me," Miley whispered to herself. Suddenly feeling deflated, the brunette reached out and snagged her phone again, rolling onto her stomach as she began to type a text message.

hey lils

i really miss u :-(

call me?

Short; sweet; not likely to start any conflict. And actually what she had wanted to say all along. She hit send. Now she would just wait for Lilly to get back to her, and in the meantime respect her need for space.

Only a couple of minutes later Lilly called Miley back.

"Hi Lilly!" Miley greeted, happy that Lilly had got back to her so soon.

"Hey Miles! What's up?"

"Nothing much... Just wanted to hear your voice, I guess. How ya doin'?"

"Pretty good. Just been doin' my homework. I know I was supposed to be doing it this afternoon, but Matt kept... distracting me," Lilly said with a giggle. Miley seized on the opportunity to steer the conversation towards Lilly's boyfriend.

"So... how are things going with Matt?" She tried to keep her voice casual.

"Good... Really nice, actually."

"He hasn't been... hurtin' you or... trying to get you to do stuff you don't want to... has he?"

Lilly chuckled on the other end of the line. "No. Nothing like that. Thanks for looking out for me, though. That's really sweet. But you don't need to worry. I'd tell you if anything bad was going on."

"Would you?" It came out sounding quite a bit harsher than Miley had intended it to. There was a surprised pause on the other end, before Lilly responded.

"Of course I would, Miles!"

"It's just..." Miley suddenly felt like she needed to defend her earlier comment. "Ever since you started dating Matt, it's like I'm hardly a part of your life anymore." Miley hoped she didn't sound as whiny and sulky to Lilly as she did to herself.

"Miley, is this about me cancelling on you today?"

"No... not really... Maybe... yes! I don't know! It's not just about today." Miley sighed. She really _hadn't_ wanted to start a fight with her best friend. She had just wanted to talk to her and hear that she was alright. And now somehow it had ended up like this. "I'm sorry Lilly. I guess I'm just being stupid and selfish..."

"No. You're right. Cancelling on my friends once is tacky. Cancelling two days in a row is totally uncool. I shouldn't just ditch all my commitments to my other friends the minute I get a boyfriend. I promise I'll make it up to you and Oliver. I can start by offering you both an invitation to a party at Matt's place this Saturday! We're kind of organising it together."

"Great," said Miley, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. Just what she needed - more time watching the two of them act all couply. She briefly considered refusing, but that would probably hurt Lilly's feelings, and wouldn't be a very nice way to respond to her peace offering. "I'll be there."

"Cool! I'll ring Oliver and let him know. I hope he can make it too."

"Oh don't worry. He'll be there," promised Miley. "I'll make sure of it." _Because if he doesn't go to keep me sane, I won't hesitate to break bones. And he knows it._

"Okay. I'll try and ring him now..."

"Lils," interrupted Miley before she could hang up. "Does Matt really make you happy?"

"Yeah."

"Well then, I'm happy for you."

"Thanks. Bye." And then Lilly was gone and Miley was left laying on her bed again, staring up at her ceiling, still thinking about Lilly and Matt. So, Lilly liked Matt, and Matt obviously liked Lilly. He wasn't mistreating her. She was happy with him. That was that. And they did normal couple things like organise parties together and make out after school instead of doing homework. Nothing strange here. Just normal teenage stuff. _Yeah, except for that part where Lilly and I kissed and now we can't seem to talk about it!_

Lilly had initiated it, but did the fact that she hadn't mentioned it since mean that she thought it was a big mistake? Did she just want to forget about it now that she had a proper boyfriend? Should Miley just try and forget about it? _Could_ Miley forget about it? Had it just been an experiment? Did Lilly consider it some sort of... practice, so that she was confident in her kissing abilities for when she dated boys? _Would she want to practice with me some more? Wait! What!?_

As soon as the thought popped unbidden into her head, it seemed to open up a floodgate of other forbidden thoughts, emotions and images. The mental pictures of Lilly engaging in certain acts with Matt that had been floating around, unwanted, in the brunette's imagination, suddenly, swiftly, and irrevocably changed. It was no longer Matt who lay, sweating and panting with Lilly, limbs entwined and tangled in the bed sheets, but Miley herself. It was Miley's hands that gently caressed the smooth tanned skin, hunting out all those secret places that would make the blonde moan so delightfully; Miley who held Lilly close, rejoicing in the feel of soft curves against her body as she pressed her lover to the mattress beneath her, looking down into deep blue eyes that were no longer wide with fright, but dilated with lust, able to understand the multitude of emotions flickering through those eyes in a way that Matt, or any other boy, never could; and it was Miley, just Miley, who was allowed to place her lips against Lilly's, sharing an infinity of kisses, soft and hungry and passionate and loving all at once, each one a natural progression of that first kiss in the dining-room that night after the dance.

And as the kaleidoscope of images and thoughts and feelings washed through her, unable to be reined in, try as she might, causing her heart to speed up and making her flush hotter than she could ever remember, Miley realised her relationship with Lilly had just gotten a whole lot more complicated.

_Aww crap!_


	4. Chapter 4

For Miley Stewart, Friday had passed in a feverish blur of confused feelings and awkward, surreptitious glances towards her best friend. These glances went unheeded by said best friend, who, as usual, was too absorbed in Matt to notice the strange behaviour of her BFF. For this fact, Miley was, for once, supremely grateful - had Lilly actually spoken directly to her, Miley suspected she would have been unable to do anything other than look down at her shoelaces and blush furiously. The brunette had also managed to avoid speaking much to Oliver - she had been completely unable to concentrate on her homework the previous night after getting off the phone to Lilly, and so had to spend all of her free time at lunch and in-between lessons catching up. This was a convenient excuse not to have to talk to anyone for most of the day.

Friday night was spent catching up on the stuff she should have learnt in class during the day. Obsessively gazing at the newly-realised object of her affection instead of concentrating on what the teachers were saying was not conducive to good learning, as it turned out. Besides which, if she wasn't doing schoolwork, then Miley would have to be laying on her bed trying to sort out her feelings.

Miley did end up spending most of the night laying on her bed trying to sort out her feelings.

Saturday morning rolled around, and thankfully Miley had Hannah rehearsals and dance class to go to - Lola-free, since Lilly was helping Matt set up for the party - so she was able to keep herself occupied until it was time to get ready for the big event.

As she showered and dressed, however, the waves of anxiety began to roll over her. Miley had already resigned herself to having a horrible time at the party. Forty-eight hours ago, she had been wanting nothing more than to spend some quality time with Lilly. Now she was dreading it. Would she even be able to face Lilly? Would she be able to talk to her normally? What if Lilly figured out something was wrong? Maybe it _would_ be better if Lilly spent the whole night hanging off of Matt and ignoring her. As painful as that would be to watch, perhaps it would just be better. Easier. Miley would just spend a couple of hours hanging out with Oliver, then fake an illness and go home. That was the best plan. For everyone. And then Lilly and Matt could live happily ever after, and Miley could get over her stupid crush, or hormone-induced lust, or whatever it was she was feeling towards the blonde. _It's love..._

"I am _not_ in love with my best friend!" Miley muttered angrily at her reflection in the mirror as she was doing her make-up. "I'm not! I just miss her!" _Because you're in love with her..._ "I just love her as a friend, that's all!" _Friends don't get jealous..._ "I am not going to get jealous," Miley firmly instructed her reflection in the mirror, as she applied her lip-gloss (cherry, because that was Lilly's favourite). "I am going to support her and be a good friend to her. The most important thing is that she's happy. If he makes her happy then I want them to be together. I won't sabotage that." _And that's why I'll never tell her... I'll never tell her that I'm in love with her._


	5. Chapter 5

Miley sighed in boredom and took another sip of her soda, looking around the living-room of Matt's beachfront house, scanning the party guests once more for some sign of Lilly. Since her arrival with Oliver, and Lilly and Matt's initial greeting, Miley had only caught occasional glimpses of the blonde, who had been kept busy doing the rounds of all of the guests. It was crowded and hot inside, and the doors to the front porch were thrown wide open, with the party spilling over onto the beach. Music blared from the stereo, competing with the noise of fifty or more rowdy teenagers. Miley sat with Oliver and some of his guy-buddies and their girlfriends, perched on stools crowded around the island of the adjoining kitchen. She had done her best to keep up with the conversations at first, but had inevitably tuned out when the subject turned to surfing and other sports she knew nothing about. Since then, she had spent most of her time watching Lilly, tracking her around the room as she and Matt flitted from one group of guests to another. Lilly's outgoing personality meant she had always been slightly better at socialising than Miley, who had plenty of opportunity to hog the spotlight as Hannah, and preferred to stay more low-key at school. Dating a popular guy hadn't hurt Lilly's social position, either, and she seemed to be getting along with all of Matt's friends without any problems.

Presently, the two hosts were outside on the porch, backs against the wooden railing, shoulders leaning against each other, as they talked amongst a large group of Matt's friends. As Miley watched on, Lilly's head turned towards her and their eyes met. Lilly's face broke into a bright smile, and she motioned for Miley to come join them. Miley smiled faintly back, and got up to move over to her.

"Hey Miles!" Lilly greeted the brunette when she joined her at the railing. "Having fun?"

"Yep," lied the brunette. "It's a blast."

"Plenty of single guys here tonight," Lilly continued, seemingly oblivious to the sarcasm. She leaned in conspiratorially. "If you like, I could introduce you to some..."

At that moment, one of the guys came back from the kitchen with two cold six-packs of beer in his hands. "Beer delivery! Who wants some?" A loud cheer went up as the beers were handed around. Matt snagged a couple and handed one to Lilly.

"Here babe, for you."

"You know," chuckled Lilly as she twisted the top off the beer and took a sip, "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were determined to get me drunk tonight just so I'll fool around with you later."

"Maybe I just want to see how cute you look when you're tipsy..." answered Matt. "Besides, I've never needed to get you drunk before to have you fool around with me." This comment earned him a playful swat on the arm from Lilly.

Turning back to Miley, Lilly caught the concerned look on the face of her friend. She leant over and whispered in Miley's ear, "Relax. I tip them out when he's not looking. He thinks I've already had three, but I've actually had like, one-and-a-half! Sneaky, huh?"

"Yeah," replied Miley. "Looks like you've got it all figured out." Miley took another sip of her safe and boring non-alcoholic soda, and wondered if _her_ night could be improved if she were to start drinking beer. Though whatever improvement was achieved would be short-lived, lasting only until she got home and had to face her dad and his strict no-underage-drinking rules.

"Actually Lilly, I think I'm gonna leave and go home."

"No, Miles! You've only just got here!" protested Lilly, sounding genuinely disappointed. Miley didn't have the heart to point out that she had been sitting quietly in the corner for the last two-and-a-half hours, practically abandoned.

"I'm actually kinda tired from my busy day, and it's really hot and stuffy inside. It's making me a little light-headed. Maybe I'm coming down with something..." When Lilly really started to look worried, Miley was afraid she might have overdone it a bit. But a small part of her was secretly satisfied that she could still command the blonde's attention, even if it was only by pretending to be ill. _Stop it! This is exactly what you promised you wouldn't do!_ "You know what, I'm just gonna go." Miley put her cup down on the balcony rail and turned to leave, but was stopped by Lilly's hand on her arm.

"Miles wait! Let's go for a walk on the beach. Maybe the fresh air will clear your head and make you feel better. If you're still not feeling well, then me and Matt will walk you home."

"You don't have to..."

"I'm not gonna let my maybe-ill best friend stagger home by herself. Come on." Lilly started leading Miley towards the steps from the porch onto the beach. "Going for a walk, babe!" she shot back over her shoulder to Matt.

"Okay!" her boyfriend replied without looking.

At the bottom of the steps, Lilly paused, and checking that Matt wasn't looking (he and his friends were busy playing air-guitar to the song currently blasting from the stereo speakers), took a swig from her beer, then, true to her word, emptied the remainder of the bottle into the pot-plant, before placing the empty on the wooden decking of the porch, and setting off with Miley across the sand towards the water. Scattered across this portion of the beach were clumps of partygoers, either standing or sitting in small groups, conversing, drinking, singing to the music, or some combination of all three. The sand was littered with their discarded plastic cups and beer-bottles. Most of the activity was centred around Matt's house, since that was the source of the food and drink and music, and as the two girls walked further away, the noise and hubbub of the party gradually died down, to be replaced with the rhythmic pounding of the surf. Reaching the water's edge, they turned and continued on down the beach, parallel to the shore, still walking with their arms linked. They stopped after a little while, and looked out across the sea. A myriad of bright stars were visible above the Pacific Ocean, and the night wasn't cold, despite the sea-breeze blowing in off the water being strong enough to whip their hair about their shoulders. Lilly was the first to break the silence.

"Feeling any better?"

"Yeah, a little," answered Miley, truthfully. She _was_ feeling better now, though it had more to do with having Lilly to herself than with the sea air.

There was a short pause before Lilly continued. "Miles... I really am glad you made it tonight. It feels like we haven't had the chance to hangout in... forever, and I know a lot of that's my fault. So, I'm sorry. I promise I'll try to make more time for you."

Even in the dark, there was no hiding Miley's radiant smile. "I'm really glad," was the safest thing the brunette could think to say. Lilly turned and pulled the taller girl into a hug, and Miley had to try and ignore the way her heart sped up. _I'm so smitten... But I'll never tell her. I'll be happy just to have my best friend back._

"I suppose I should make more time for 'doughnuts' too..." said Lilly as she released Miley. "Where is Oliver, anyway?"

"Last I saw, he was inside talking to some surfer buddies about 'Awesome waves dude!'" Miley said the last part in her best imitation of a surfer guy's voice. "Or something like that."

"Cool! Let's go find him!" Lilly exclaimed enthusiastically.

Miley rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Yeah! 'Cos ya know how much I _love_ talking about surfing!"

"Aww... If it's too complicated for you, I'll help explain it," Lilly teased in a sugary-sweet voice.

"Although I have complete faith in both your ability to explain, and my ability to understand, I fail to see how a bunch of people floating around in the ocean on funny-shaped boards, waiting to get picked up by a wave and cruelly dashed against the rocky shore, has any relevance to _my_ life!"

"Well..." Lilly pondered for a second. "Surfers like to listen to music, right... and you're a musician... so... surfing's relevant! Let's go!" Lilly grabbed Miley's hand and began dragging her back towards the house.

"That was the best you could come up with?" asked Miley, who nevertheless allowed herself to be pulled along.

"Well I was rushed! I was under pressure! That was the best I could do at short notice!"

"And you know, I don't think surfers are really my target audience," continued Miley, unable to hold back a smile.

"All the more reason to do some market research! Look, you're not getting out of it, Stewart, so just come quietly!"

Their banter was interrupted when a large group of guys, and some girls, ran past them towards the water, clad only in their underwear, whooping and screaming as they charged into the ocean for a late night swim. Lilly snorted and shook her head, before doing a double-take. "Wait! Was that my boyfriend?!" Lilly stared hard at the people in the water for a couple of seconds until she could confirm that, yes, Matt was indeed amongst the group of semi-naked figures now cavorting in the surf. "Huh!"

Seeing the way Lilly was focussed on watching Matt, Miley's smile faded. "Do you want to go join him?" she tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"Hell no!" Lilly turned her attention back to Miley. "I haven't had anywhere near enough beers to strip down to my underwear tonight!" She turned and started back towards the porch, and Miley followed behind her.

"So, how many beers _would_ it take to get you down to your underwear?"

Lilly paused for a second and pondered. "I'm not sure... Wait, don't tell me _you're_ trying to get me drunk as well?"

"No!" said Miley defensively. "I was just curious, is all."

"Well, how many beers would it take to get _you_ to go swimming in your underwear?"

"Lils, there ain't enough beer in the whole damn world to accomplish that!"

As the two girls continued inside, bantering back and forth like they always had, Miley was amazed at how easily they had fallen back into the old familiar patterns, acting just like they had back when everything had been comfortable between them. Before Matt; before the kiss; before the jealousy; before Miley's feelings of more-than-friendly love. _That's why I'll never tell her. Because this is okay, isn't it? Friends is okay. Even if she has a boyfriend, this is still okay. Isn't it?_


	6. Chapter 6

"Incoming hostile at two-o'clock," Miley muttered as she caught sight of Joanie Palumbo making her way through the crowd towards them. Herself, Lilly, and Oliver were seated in the corner of the living-room, off to one side of the door to the porch, out of everyone's way, but still able to benefit from the breeze coming in from outside. They had been chatting comfortably, just like old times, when Miley's 'bitch-radar' had been set off by Joanie's approach. Both girls glared at her as she came up to them, getting ready for whatever confrontation Joanie wanted to start.

"Hey Truscott. Matt wants you for something. He's upstairs." And with that, Joanie continued right on past them and out the door without another word.

"Huh," said Miley, surprised that the usual fireworks between Lilly and Joanie had failed to eventuate. "That was weird. Since when is Joanie a messenger girl?"

"I don't know..." Lilly frowned. "But I'd better go see what he wants."

"I think _I_ can guess what he wants you upstairs for!" said Oliver suggestively. Lilly hit him hard on the arm, causing him to spill some of his drink down the front of his shirt. "OW! Geez Lils!"

"You had it coming!" Lilly shot back over her shoulder as she stood up and started towards the stairs that led to the second storey.

"You really did," agreed Miley. Oliver got up and went to clean himself off, leaving Miley by herself. The brunette looked awkwardly around the room, deciding whether she wanted to talk to anyone else, wait for Lilly or Oliver to come back, or just go home. If Matt had indeed lured Lilly upstairs for a make-out session, that was probably the last they would see of her for some time. And Miley didn't particularly want to stick around, since she would just end up with _those_ visuals going through her head again.

Miley stood up, her decision made. She would take a quick look upstairs on the off chance that Lilly hadn't disappeared into Matt's bedroom, then find Oliver, see if he wanted to leave, and then, either way, say her goodbyes and go.

As Miley started up the stairs to the second floor, a short blonde girl - her name was Kyla, Miley remembered from school, pushed past her heading in the opposite direction. Continuing on, Miley began to hear raised voices ahead. Coming round the corner into the hallway, she saw Lilly and Matt standing just outside of what she assumed was Matt's bedroom. They seemed to be in the middle of a heated argument.

"Lilly, she kissed _me_! I came up here to get her a towel, and then she just started!"

"Then why didn't you stop her!? Huh? And even if she did kiss you first, are you going to try and tell me that _she_ somehow threw _you_ onto the bed. 'Cos that's where you both were when I walked in on you! And you finished your swim ages ago! How long does it take to get a towel!?"

While this was going on, a couple of girls had come up the stairs behind Miley, on their way to the upstairs bathroom. Now they stopped and watched in curiosity at the unfolding drama before them.

"Babe... I'm sorry. I made a mistake." Matt made a last-ditch attempt to mollify her.

"And just saying sorry is supposed to make it okay!? You son-of-a-bitch!" Lilly yelled. And with that, she turned on her heel and stalked away, back towards the stairs and the small group of onlookers that now crowded behind Miley. As their gazes briefly met, Miley caught the telltale glint of unshed tears brimming in Lilly's eyes, before they flicked past her to take in the spectators. Lilly made a quick turn and headed through the nearby open bathroom door, slamming it loudly shut behind her.

Miley started towards the bathroom door at the same time that Matt did, and they both pulled up short in front of it, looking at each other - or in Miley's case, glaring with her best death-stare.

"That's twice now you've broken her heart!" Miley ground out in a low, dangerous voice, as a fierce surge of protectiveness flowed through her. Catching sight of a half-empty beer-bottle on a small table nearby, she grabbed it and upended the contents over Matt's head, eliciting a collective gasp of shock from the people behind her.

"What the fuck!?" he exclaimed.

"I've been waiting three weeks to do that!" Miley said in satisfaction. "Now don't you _ever_ come near Lilly again!" And then she turned and knocked on the bathroom door, paying Matt no more heed, and leaving him to retreat to his bedroom in spluttering indignation to once again try to find a towel.

"Lilly!" Miley continued knocking. When there was no response, she tried the door-handle, finding that in her haste Lilly hadn't locked it. Quickly letting herself in, she closed the door behind her and made sure to lock it.

Lilly was a miserable sight, sitting huddled on the edge of the bathtub, tears smearing her makeup as they ran down her face. Miley sat down next to her.

"Lilly, I am sooo sorry."

"It's not like you didn't try to warn me. I should have listened."

"I wish I'd been wrong. I didn't want you to end up getting hurt." Miley fought back a twinge of guilt at bending the truth. A small selfish part of her _had_ wanted them to break up. But she was being honest when she said she had never wanted Lilly to get hurt. There was no way she could ever be happy with any situation that led to Lilly being upset like this.

"I finally thought I'd found a guy who really liked me for just being me," Lilly continued in a small voice. "All he really liked me for was what he thought he could get from me. And when his patience ran out, he went after the first underwear-clad floozy who'd go on a late-night drunken swim with him! I should have known it was too good to be true!"

"Lilly, please don't get down on yourself," said Miley. "_He's_ the problem, not you. With a guy like him, it wouldn't matter what you did or how you acted. He'd never be satisfied. He proved that by the way he lost interest so quickly."

Lilly stood up and moved over to the counter. Grabbing a tissue from the box on the countertop, she dabbed at her eyes and nose. "So how do I get a guy to stay interested? Give up my own personality and just nod and smile and go along with anything they say? Start sleeping with them from the first date?"

"No! You don't do anything you don't want to! You just find someone else! Lilly, I'm sure the right person for you is out there. Someone who appreciates you for who you are, and who loves you unconditionally, without expecting anything from you."

"You make it sound like I've already met them," Lilly said morosely, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

"Maybe they're closer than you think," Miley said before she could stop herself, and suddenly her heart was pounding in her chest as her brain caught up to her mouth and she realised how dangerously close she was to revealing her own feelings. _Whoa Stewart! You are _not_ going to confess your love to her now!_ After what had happened, Lilly needed Miley as a friend more than ever. Miley was not going to complicate things by indulging her own childish crush. "I'm just saying," she continued, trying to cover up. "You could meet them any time or any place. Maybe tonight! Here! Maybe it was destiny that you and Matt broke up when you did. Maybe your soulmate's waiting right in front of your eyes." _I want it to be me... Okay, not helping!_ _Get a grip!_ Miley was worried her current case of verbal diarrhoea would tip Lilly off, but the blonde seemed to be oblivious, struggling to fight back tears.

"I THOUGHT MATT WAS MY SOULMATE!" Lilly lost her battle to hold back the waterworks, and started sobbing. Miley was on her feet instantly, pulling Lilly into her arms. Lilly buried her face in the crook of Miley's neck, and the brunette held her close, trying to comfort her.

"Lilly, Matt was _not_ your soulmate! If he was, it wouldn't have ended like this. When you find your soulmate, it should be effortless; the two of you should just... fit. A soulmate loves and appreciates you for who you are, without putting pressure on you to change, or do stuff that isn't right for you. A soulmate finds you beautiful, no matter what, and always wants to be around you, but not at the expense of giving up your own life. I _know_ there's someone out there that feels that way about you; someone who sees how amazing you are, and how much you have to offer. Someone who sees you the way I do. Someone who honestly believes that you're one in a million..." Miley trailed off. All that had come out without even thinking, and if she kept going, she just knew she'd end up giving away how she felt.

"Sounds nice..." said Lilly in a teary voice, trying to get herself under control, but failing. "WHY CAN'T I FIND MY SOULMATE!?" she wailed. "WHY CAN'T I FIND LOVE!?"

"Lilly, please don't be too upset," Miley pleaded, almost distraught at seeing the other girl in so much pain. "Just trust me when I say there _are_ people who believe you are wonderful and worthy of love, even if you can't see that right now. I... I happen to be one of them... I... I love you, Lilly."

"You have to say that; you're my best friend. It doesn't count." And there it was. Miley had said it, as she knew she shouldn't have. _I love you, Lilly._ And it had been misinterpreted, as she knew it would be. And that's how it would always be - _Miley's_ love didn't count. All the feelings of affection, admiration, protectiveness, loyalty, attraction, love - all those feelings didn't matter. Lilly was broken-hearted, and Miley couldn't fix her, not with _her_ love. Miley squeezed her eyes shut, feeling hot tears pricking at the back of her lids. _Why can't it count? Why can't I be enough for you, Lils?_ She felt Lilly stir against her shoulder, lifting her head up from where it rested.

"What do you mean, Miley? And why are _you_ crying?"

"Huh?" The brunette opened her eyes, and found herself looking down into the puzzled, tear-streaked face of the other girl, only inches away from her own. _Oh crap! I think I said that last part out loud!_

"I'm sorry Miley," apologised Lilly. "I didn't mean that last part to sound so hurtful or belittling. Of course it counts that you love me. Please don't be upset. I couldn't stand it if you stopped loving me, too."

Miley was overcome with a wave of tender affection. Lilly had just had her heart shattered, but was now concerned that she may have hurt _her_ with a careless comment. "God, I love you. I could never stop loving you." The brunette suddenly became ultra-aware of the nearness of the other girl, her warmth, scent, the feel of her in her arms, how very close and kissable her lips were... Before Miley knew it, her head had moved of its own accord, closing the last brief distance between her face and Lilly's, lips pressing together in a soft, sweet kiss - just as sweet as Miley remembered their first kiss being. Miley sighed, understanding now that she had actually been missing - and craving - the feel and taste of Lilly these last three weeks. For a blissful few seconds, the emptiness and heartache that Miley had been feeling inside ever since Lilly had left her for Matt - for that was how she viewed it now - began to recede, and there was just the sensation of her mouth against Lilly's, and the absolute certainty that Miley need look no further to find _her_ soulmate. Then she came to her senses as the realisation of what she'd just done hit her. With a gasp, she pulled away from Lilly, and recoiled when she saw the shocked and confused look on the blonde's face. "Ohmigod! Lils, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have done that."

Without waiting to hear the condemnation that surely must follow, Miley turned around and fled the bathroom, then the house, and didn't stop running until she was halfway up the beach, and the sounds and lights of the party were left far behind her in the dark of the night.


	7. Chapter 7

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Miley slapped her hands against her head as she slowed her headlong flight to a walk. "What were you thinking, Stewart!? Kissing her out of the blue like that! _Not_ what was needed!"

Ceasing her mumblings, Miley paused and looked around. She wasn't sure how far along the beach she had run. On her left were more of the beachfront houses common to this stretch of shoreline. Above and in front of her, the house- and street-lights on the headland were visible, adding their illumination to that of the stars shining in the vault overhead, mocking her with their warm glows and happy twinklings. Off to her right, the ocean pounded rhythmically against the sand. With a groan, Miley realised that in her thoughtless, headlong flight away from the party, she had actually run the wrong way - east instead of west - and her own house lay behind her in the other direction. Unless she could find a way up on to the Pacific Coast Highway and walk back home along the streets, she would have to go back past Matt's house - and risk running into Lilly again.

_Lilly!_ A stab of pain went through her, and the tears she had been fighting back overwhelmed her once again. She sank to her knees in the sand and sobbed into her hands. Lilly would most likely never talk to her again, not after her selfish and inappropriate actions just now. Miley now had to face the cold, harsh reality of a life without Lilly - her best friend and soulmate. She honestly didn't know if she'd be able to get by.

She was startled out of her musings by the sound of her phone ringing in her pocket, loud and jarring in the quiet night. She hastily pulled it out and checked the number - it was Lilly; but she'd known it would be. Miley hit the ignore button; she couldn't face Lilly right now, even over the phone. She couldn't hear the recrimination that would surely be in her voice.

Only a couple seconds later, she heard the sound of someone running across the sand behind her. Turning as she scrambled to her feet, she was just able to make out in the darkness the short figure of Lilly jogging towards her.

"Miley!" Lilly called out as she came to a stop in front of her, barely out of breath despite the fact that she must have run the same distance as the brunette in half the time. "Are you okay?"

"How did you know where to find me?"

"Some of the people at the party saw which way you ran off. I went in the same direction for a while, then called you and heard your ring tone up ahead. Oliver's freaking out - he saw how upset you looked when you left... _I'm_ freaking out. Why'd you run away? Especially after... that?"

"I ran away _because_ of that! Lilly, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that. I don't know what came over me. I should have been comforting you. Instead I... Look, I know you must be mad, but is there any way we can just forget that ever happened?"

"Miley..." Lilly spoke slowly. "I'm not mad at you for kissing me. And if you really _do_ just want to forget about it, we can. But please, just answer me this, and be completely honest: why did you kiss me? And did you really mean all that stuff you said, about the way you saw me? The way you loved me?"

Miley took a deep breath, and looked down at her feet, unable to look Lilly in the eye. "Yeah. I meant it. I do love you. And as more than a best friend. And I kissed you because I gave in to temptation and did what I'd been wanting to do for the last three weeks - ever since that night when you kissed me, after our 'date.'"

"Oh. That."

"Yeah. I know you were only playing, but... I don't know, it just opened up all these possibilities! And I couldn't stop thinking about it! And when you started spending all your time with Matt, I guess I just realised exactly how much I missed you, and how much you meant to me. But I couldn't say anything to you. Not as long as you were happy with Matt. You know, on the night that you went to meet him at the dance, and I was at the concert, I dedicated 'One in a Million' to you. I hadn't planned to - I usually dedicate 'True Friend' to Lola. But that night, it just felt right. And as I was singing, the lyrics made me think of _you_." Miley finally looked up at the blonde in front of her. "Lilly, I understand if you can't be around me for a while, or ever. But at least I don't have to lie to you any more about how I feel. And I hope you can still be in my life, somehow." Miley looked away again, as tears began trickling down her cheeks once more.

"Miley..." Lilly cupped the brunette's face in her hands, and made her look her in the eye. She gently wiped away Miley's tears with her thumbs. "Of course I'll still be in your life. BFF is not a label, it's a promise - a promise to always be there for each other, to always be beside each other on our journey through life, no matter what. _I'm_ the one who hasn't been a good friend. You've obviously been going through something huge these last few weeks, and we should have been going through it together. But instead, I swept it all under the carpet. Miley, I'm not gonna be mad at you for kissing and running, since I was the one who did it first. That night, at your place, when we first kissed - I don't even know why I did it. It just felt... right. Like you said it should in your little bathroom speech." Both girls smiled. "I certainly wasn't playing or messing with you. But then, we were all worried about going on _Judge John_ to get revenge, and instead of revenge I ended up getting a boyfriend. And in the rush of it all, we kinda forgot to talk about it. And as time went on, it just faded into the background. And maybe I was to blame for that. Maybe committing to Matt was my way of not having to deal with something that was confusing. But that just left you dealing with it on your own. And for that, I am _so_ sorry. Miley, when I kissed you, did you like it?"

"Yes! I meant it when I said I couldn't stop thinking about it!"

"I liked it too, Miley. And when you kissed me earlier tonight in the bathroom, although I was surprised, it certainly didn't feel wrong or awkward."

"Lils, what are you saying?" Miley's heart had started racing, but she wouldn't dare hope this was leading where she so desperately wanted it to go.

"I'm saying I care about you. And you clearly care about me. And you've been more honest with me than Matt ever was. And judging by the fact that we both keep wanting to kiss each other, I think there's something here, between us, that we should explore. I'm saying I want to give _us_ a try. As more than friends. Because I think you could be my soulmate - my one in a million - as well."

"Are you sure?" Miley could hardly get the words out, so overcome was she with the swirl of emotions coursing through her.

For an answer, Lilly stood on her toes and pressed her mouth firmly against Miley's, kissing her with all the love and tenderness and veiled passion that Miley had been dreaming of and longing for these last few, long, lonely weeks. When they broke apart, both girls had big goofy grins on their faces.

"Oh yeah," said Lilly, as she linked her arm through Miley's and started to lead her back along the beach towards home. "Now I'm sure."


End file.
